Wins for Pioneers and Ducks
UTICA
The Utica College baseball team swept a pair of one run games in a double-header against Crown College on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers rallied to win in the bottom of the seventh, 4-3, in game one. Utica came from behind once again in game two, taking the lead in the top half of the seventh inning, to earn a 6-5 victory in the second contest of the day.
Utica improved to 3-1 overall and the Pioneers return to the diamond on Wednesday when they will take on Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 9:30 a.m.
Utica's
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) had another stellar afternoon as he went 3-for-5 at the dish with three RBI's and two runs scored. UC's
Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) and
Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) each went 2-for-3 on the day. Pexton added a team-best three runs scored for the Pioneers.
UC's
Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) had an efficient day on the mound, picking up a win and a save, in just 2.0 innings of work. Burrillo came on in the seventh inning in both contests and did not allow a hit, earning him the game one victory and the game two save.
Utica 4, Crown 3 – Game One Final
Utica's
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning in game one to lift the Pioneers to a 4-3 victory on Tuesday.
The Pioneers opened a 3-1 lead by the fourth inning, but Crown knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, to set up the late game heroics for the Pioneers. Hobaica went 2-for-3 in the opener and scored one run, while Watson drove in
Daniel Priore (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor) for his lone RBI of the contest.
Utica's
Andrew Hobika, Jr. (Clinton, NY/Clinton) registered his first collegiate hit and also scored a run for the Pioneers in the top of the fourth inning after a sacrifice fly from
Ryon Lupia (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills).
Watson got his first start of the season on the mound and pitched six innings while striking out four and allowing two earned runs. Burillo came on in the top of the seventh inning with the score tied at 3-3 and did not allow a hit and eventually earned the victory.
Utica 6, Crown 5 – Game Two Final
Utica rallied from a 5-2 deficit in game two to earn the 6-5 win over Crown. The Pioneers trailed 5-4 headed into the top of the seventh inning before
Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) scored to tie the game up and
Bryce Patterson (Corning, NY/Corning East) followed with what proved to be the game-winning infield hit to help the Pioneers secure the one run victory. Burillo relieved
Ronald Mannella (Albion, NY/Albion) on the mound and shut Crown down in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save.
Utica opened an early 2-0 lead in the third inning but Crown answered with five runs in the next two innings to take a 5-2 lead after four full innings.
Both Watson and Burrillo finished game two with two RBI's.
Ethan Bliss (Cooperstown, NY /Cooperstown) got the start on the mound for the Pioneers and struck out five. Mannella did an excellent job in 2 2/3 innings of middle relief, allowing just two hits and no runs, and he was also credited with the victory.
STEVENS
Sophomore
Zeph Walters drove in three runs to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team past Washington College 9-6 on Tuesday.
The Ducks improved to 5-3 on the year, while setting a season high with the nine runs.Washington College dropped to 4-2 overall.
Stevens started the scoring early, putting one on the board in the top of the first. Junior
Nick Sieber laced a double to left-center that rolled to the wall and then came around to score on a single by sophomore
Zeph Walters. The Ducks added to their lead in the top of the third after junior
Jonathan Toro drew a one-out walk, swiped second and then came around to score on a pair of errors by the Shoremen shortstop.
Washington scratched a run across in the bottom of third with a two-out rally. Freshman Joe Lozupone hit a double down the right field line and was driven in with a single by senior Brian Alexa. Stevens tacked on a trio of runs in the top of the fourth after Toro drove home freshman
Drew Hanke, who recorded his first collegiate hit, and sophomore
Harrison Kaye with a single right up the middle. After a walk to Sieber, Walters drove in another with a run-scoring single to center field.
The Shoremen threatened in the bottom of fourth putting a runner on first who was quickly tagged out on a great pickoff move by senior
Gary Boardman. After back-to-back singles put runners on first and second but Boardman recorded a groundout to senior shortstop
Marc Calleo to end the threat. Kaye reached on an error to lead off the top of the sixth and moved to third on a double by Toro and both came around to score when Sieber reached on a throwing error. Walters drove in another run with an RBI groundout.
Washington wasn't done and in the of the sixth scored a run on an RBI single by sophomore Charlie Meder which then put runners on first and second. A hit batsman loaded the bases and freshman Ryan Donnelly reached on an error to put another run across the plate. Boardman retired the next batter on a fly-out to right field, but Meder came into score on a wild pitch to cut deficit in half. Lozupone came up next and roped a single to center to score two more Shoremen and into the Stevens lead, but Boardman got a groundout to Calleo to end the five-run inning.
The Ducks loaded the bases in the top of the eight behind a walk from Sieber and freshman
Tommy Baronner and junior
Jayson Yano reaching on throwing errors. Sophomore
Michael Mule' drilled a sacrifice fly to left center to tack on an insurance run.
The Shoremen threatened in the top of the ninth putting two runners on base, but junior
Ryan Patterson shut the door, recording back-to-back fly-outs to center to end the game.
Boardman went six innings for the win, fanning three while walking two and allowing eight hits. Walters went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in, and Toro finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.
Lozupone went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while Donnelly, Alexa and Meder all drove in a run.